The Cygnus Agenda

by Richard Martin

  “Who then? If you didn`t know about it then someone you trusted must be responsible, because it was an inside job, no question about it.”

  “That`s something best left alone, Arnie. This thing`s over, for Christ`s sake, and has been since Laredo, don`t you get that?”

  “Oh I get it alright, being shot has convinced me of that and I`m out of it. Problem is, no one`s told Jess and I doubt anyone can. She won`t give up.”

  “Well, on that score, you seem to be under the mistaken impression that I give a damn. She`s brought this on herself.”

  It was Carlucci`s final statement and his turn to slam the phone down.

  Annoyed at being cut off and at Carlucci having the last word, Arnie shoved the cell-phone into his pocket, cursed, then headed over to the rest rooms to wait for Jessica. With a growing sense of dread he began to reflect on what she might be getting herself into and that the consequences could be severe. He feared that her determination was far from a good thing, but when he asked himself what he could do about it he realised that the answer was nothing.

  CHAPTER 31

  Leaving Arnie back at the rental cottage, Jessica returned to D.C. with renewed determination, no matter the consequences. She knew what she had to do. There was only one option left. Harry Dryden`s sacrifice had given her half of what she needed, and now the hours of struggling with her conscience had left the final decision on a knife edge. She had the Corporation name but no chance of access to its leaders, and Jessica knew there was only one person who could help her. That meant exposing herself to someone she utterly despised, someone she had worked for in her early career when straight out of college and innocent as they come.

  Having slept late after the overnight flight, she left her hotel with a feeling of weariness and a considerable amount of apprehension. Stopping the cab a couple of blocks from her destination she walked with some vigour in an attempt to strengthen her mind, a preparation she knew was necessary for the contest ahead.

  Stepping out of the elevator she paused to look around the corridor of real power, the lair of Preston Fields, multi-millionaire patron of the rich and famous and link between Wall Street and Congress. He was the only man that could help her now, but for that she would have to sell her soul, and that decision had already been made.

  She had laid out her predicament in a brief phone conversation and now it was all about the price. Arranging access to the top echelons of the United Evangelical Ministries would not be easy, even for Preston Fields. He knew he could succeed but at a considerable cost in political capital. Jessica`s future meeting with the Reverend Tobias Stone could be arranged with the promise of some big favours and a guaranteed piece of positive journalism, a seemingly benign scenario that provoked no suspicion. But if things went wrong, a heavy price would be paid.

  Fields knew it was a risk, but figured that Jessica`s well-disguised objective held little potential for trouble. For Jessica it was her last chance. She had to have a conclusion for her story and knew that without it she had nothing. It was a deal which delivered to Fields both Harry Dryden and Arnie Krench for their role in illegally penetrating the Federal Aviation Authority in the infamous Hydrax investigation. That triumph would get him the Governorship, the biggest achievement of his life.

  She knew that getting to the people at the top of the Corporation was one thing, but the Evangelical ministries were notoriously secretive organisations, so astute handling of the interview would also be crucial in getting what she needed. Beyond that she would have to take her chances.

  Striding down a marble hallway lined with abstract art and select pieces of period furniture, Jessica fixed her eyes on the male secretary sitting behind a substantial ebony desk. The man offered her a warm smile. “Jessica Hahn, I presume,” he said lifting the desk phone to his ear. He informed his boss that she had arrived, then stood and took her to a set of large double doors. Passing through, Jessica found herself in a waiting area with a large electronic machine placed in the middle, one that resembled an airport security scanner.

  “My apologies, Miss Hahn, it`s a security procedure which detects such things as recording devices or weaponry, just routine, a necessary protection for a very important man.”

  Having passed security, the first contact with Preston Fields was uncomfortable in the extreme, her loathing every bit as bad as the last time she saw him. A handsome man, his ageing face hadn`t changed to a significant degree, most of his hair still present. But concealed behind that sophisticated veneer lay a ruthless mind, something Jessica knew not to underestimate.

  “Well, well, Jessica Hahn graces my office once again,” he said, “something you swore would never happen in a million years, if I remember correctly. And I do remember a lot about you, Jessica, all of it memorable.”

  She waited a moment, trying to temper her revulsion, erase the memory of the power he held over her at a time when she was young and naïve.

  “You know why I`m here, Preston, so let`s cut to the chase. You have something I need and I have something you need.”

  “Always the straight shooter, Jess, I liked that in you, amongst other things of course. Getting the trade out on the table suits me just fine, and I`m a busy man, so let`s hear it.”

  Uninvited, Jessica pulled up a chair and sat, no attempt at disguising her adversarial look. “I already told you about my reasons on the phone, and that a meeting with the person at the top of this Evangelical Corporation is what I need.”

  Fields gave her a long cold stare, knowing it would unnerve her and was part of his strategy to convey only mild interest in her proposal. “That would be Reverend Tobias Stone, a man few people have access to and you`re in luck because one of them happens to be me. So yes, it can be done, but it`s a big ask and if it turns out to be trouble for him then it will mean trouble for me. There`s only one thing I would trade for something like this and I doubt you`ll be willing to pay the price.”

  “It`s been almost twenty years since I worked for you and my distaste for your tactics and moral standards hasn`t changed one bit, so I knew I`d have to sell myself.”

  Field`s threw her a fake smile. “Sassy and sexy as ever, always liked that about you.”

  “You can get that thought out of your mind, Preston, because you won`t ever be going there.”

  “No intention, Jessica, just enjoying old memories. I know you wouldn`t be here if that was all you had to offer. Guess you still see me as a real sonofabitch and you`d be right to do so, but try to be a little nice, that way maybe we`ll both get the deal we want.”

  “Fair enough,” she said. “You want to be State Governor next year and if the polls are anywhere near correct then it`s not going to happen. We both know the reason and that the only way to turn things around is to erase your failure to solve the Hydrax affair. We also know that you were right, but just couldn`t prove it, and that led to your political downfall. Get that monkey off your back, replace it with a high profile victory and you would be home and dry.”

  “You`re willing to give me that? All of them, Dryden, Krench and the F.A.A. insider?”

  “Two out of three, Preston, that`s it, no negotiation.”

  “Which two?”

  “Dryden and the F.A.A. insider, plus the union guy who set it up.”

  “Dryden I need for sure, but Krench I also need. The other two would get a slap on the wrist and only show how it was done, not the reason. So that`s my bottom line, Dryden and Krench, or no deal.”

  Jessica sat for a moment. “Then no deal, Preston, kiss the Governor`s mansion goodbye.”

  “I won`t get the mansion without Krench and you know it, so come on, Jess don`t kid a kidder.”

  “It`s no deal, because there`s no way you`re getting Arnie Krench. Can`t say it`s been nice seeing you and it won`t be happening again. This is a one-time offer.”

  Getting no response, s
he left her chair and with every step across the room hoped to hear him ask her to stop, the bluff called, the great Preston Fields defeated by his own lust for power. But as she passed through the doorway she knew it was her bluff that had been called. And now the choice that was left was no choice at all, one that wrenched at her conscience and raised questions about what kind of person she really was.

  By the time she reached the elevator she knew it was all over, the story gone, and with it the revival of her career.

  Reaching the ground floor, she stepped off the elevator, headed for the reception seating area, sat down and tried to square the circle. She knew Fields was right, that he had to have both Harry and Arnie. So only a deal that sold out Arnie could get her what she needed, and leaving Seattle she had known it might have to be that way. But going ahead with such betrayal was much harder than she`d imagined, no matter the necessity.

  Reaching the sidewalk, she walked fast, thoughts about the future bringing a knot to her stomach. At the end of the block she stopped, staring at the red light of the cross-walk. Now it came to her. In a matter of seconds, she straightened, turned, and marched back along the sidewalk.

  Entering the building, she had it all figured out and was resolute in her decision. Speaking to the secretary on the intercom she requested a return to Preston Field`s office. The long wait for an answer she knew to be a tactic of Fields and it didn`t bother her, the plan she was hatching of much more importance.

  “Mr.Fields can see you, Miss Hahn, come right up.”

  Fields had managed to keep a deadpan expression, no crowing at his victory. “It`s the only way, Jessica, and hard-nosed bastard that I am, I get your dilemma. But it is what it is and all I can do is promise to go easy on Krench.”

  “Like you say, Preston, it is what it is, so let`s cut the crap. Tell me how this gets played.”

  “We keep it simple, straight forward legal commitment in writing from you, affirming the conspiracy between Dryden and Krench.”

  “Okay, that`s a deal, but you must agree not to prosecute this until two days after my meeting with Reverend Tobias Stone. And that will be in the legal contract.”

  “Why, what`s that about?”

  “Gives me time to prepare Arnie for what`s coming. I owe him that.”

  “Fair enough, Jessica, but you know the legal document goes live after that and you will be committed to testify. And hear this. That document will have your written testimony on it as well so you`ll have no way out, you got that?”

  “Yeah, I`ve got that. Call me when you have the document ready for signing and make sure it has a clear conditional statement that it will be null and void if I don`t get that meeting with the Reverend.”

  “We`ve both got what we need, Jessica. I`ll see my end through, just make sure you do.”

  It was two days later when Jessica got the call saying the document was ready for signing. Sign it and be damned she told herself as she stiffened her resolve and arranged another visit to Preston Field`s office.

  She had the cab drop her right at the door this time, her mood more positive, mind sharp and ready for Fields. Through the security scanner once more and back in his office she read the document then walked over to the window as Fields verbally ran through some details. Jessica was paying no attention as she stared down at the horn-blaring traffic below, looking across the street at a black van parked halfway onto the opposite sidewalk. Turning, she engaged Fields with a matter of fact tone. “Now that our sordid little agreement is concluded, and before I sign, I need to get something off my chest, Preston.”

  “Be my guest,” he said, gesturing with open hands.

  “I want you to admit to not just abusing your position over me when I worked for you as a naïve twenty two year old, but that you forced yourself on me, that it was not consensual. I need to hear you say it.”

  Fields shifted in his chair. “After all this time such a thing still bugs you? Come on, Jessica you knew how the game was played and it may not have been truly consensual but you didn`t say anything at the time. You got what you wanted, a trade, just like we`re doing today.”

  “You just don`t get it, do you. How a woman carries that for the rest of her life, something your type always chooses to ignore, doesn`t give a damn about.”

  “Come off it, Jessica, I`m no predator. It was a one-off situation that got a bit out of hand, what the hell do you want a written apology?”

  “A written apology I don`t need, and a one-off situation with me it might have been, but what about your other victims?”

  Now Field`s expression changed. “You dare accuse me of such a thing? Mention that outside this room and I will sue you for every cent you have and continue to do so for the rest of your life.”

  “Deny it all you want, Preston, but we both know it`s true, at least in one incident.”

  “What incident, the hell are you talking about?”

  “Mary Anne Paulson, daughter of your best friend at the time, a girl you knew was only sixteen. Are you going to sit there and deny it?”

  Fields reached in his desk drawer, face flushed, his breathing tight. Putting two pill bottles in front of him he twisted their caps and swallowed what looked like a handful.

  Jessica watched as he sat there, both hands on his desk. Looking up, he seemed to be regaining control. “Okay, so you know about that, but it`s worthless, your word against mine, and it will be seen as a reporter trying to shake down an old boss in a desperate attempt to rescue a failed career. Now you sign this document or you don`t, and if you think these allegations which are now beyond the statute of limitations will get you any leverage when it comes to Dryden and Krench`s fate, think again, because you just blew it.”

  “I`ll sign your damned document, Preston and I know my knowledge of what you did has no power without evidence, but at least I had the satisfaction of reminding you what kind of person you used to be and suspect you still are.”

  “Just sign the damned agreement, Jessica and remember that two days after your meeting with Reverend Tobias Stone I come after Dryden and Krench and you will become as treacherous a person as me.”

  Moving swiftly to the desk, Jessica scribbled her signature on the three pages, picked up her copy signed by Fields, turned and marched towards the door.

  “Where`s your high and mighty morality now, Jessica Hahn?” he shouted.

  She didn`t respond, kept right on out the door, past his precious security scanner and straight to the elevator. His words had cut deep, not just because they were gratuitous, but because she knew they were true.

  On the long flight back to Seattle, Jessica`s mind continued to race as she battled the stress and exhaustion of the day, but the decision had been made, carried out with conviction, and she knew the consequences were now beyond her control. Preston Fields was a man whose greed had him grasping at tomorrow before today was out, a manipulator of people and a person without conscience. Some saw nothing wrong in that kind of drive, but most saw it as a fatal flaw in his character. As a political fixer, a mover and shaker in the D.C. swamp, it helped him get to everybody, and for Jessica, that`s all that mattered. She knew it made him a powerful contact, but also a dangerous one who could impart terrible revenge on those who crossed him. And that`s just what Jessica intended to do.

  CHAPTER 32

  On the rocky coast of Puget Sound, surrounded by tall pines, Jessica`s rental cottage had two guest rooms on the first floor, her master suite on the ground floor. Whether to leave Arnie behind had been decided, and in their brief conversation the night before, her next move hadn`t been discussed in detail. Moving around her room as quietly as possible, she still wasn`t sure, her wish to head off alone a strong one but nagging at her conscience.

  Arnie had heard her up and about just after 6.00am and suspected she might leave without him. Downstairs, Jessica had heard him thumping aro
und as if in a rush and now she knew he was dead set on coming with her.

  Almost racing down the stairs, Arnie found her at the kitchen table, car keys in hand, overnight bag propping open the back door. She tried to not look surprised. “You`re up early.”

  “Yes, because I figured you might take off on your own again. You`re one determined woman, Jess, but like I said in that Laredo hospital, I can`t let you go into the lion`s den without protection. This could be the final throw of the dice and who knows what might happen. Besides, you did say you`d take me along.”

  “Come on, Arnie, this is the nation`s top Evangelical, a man of God held in the highest esteem. I can handle this. The meeting`s at his home. His wife, maid and chauffeur all live there.”

  By his expression she knew that wasn`t going to cut it. “But I guess you`re entitled, and I suppose it would also have the advantage of you being a witness to the Reverend`s remarks. He might refuse to be recorded.”

  His lack of response made her wonder if the intent to go it alone had crossed a line. The silence was an uneasy one and when Arnie spoke it was in a firmer tone. “Okay, it looks like you might get some kind of ending for your story Jess, but no way will this thing be over. It`s way too big, and with powerful people involved, it finishes when they say it does.”

  She peered at him, a searching look. “I`ve known you long enough Arnie and something`s bugging you, what is it?”

  “Trust, Jess,” he said instantly. “This whole thing is riddled with betrayal and you could be walking into a set-up. Why would the United Ministries allow a journalist to get near them? And anyway, how the hell did you get access to someone like the Reverend himself?”

  “That`s another story, Arnie,” she said, looking away. “Not allowed to disclose that, it was part of the deal I made to get the interview.”

  Ending the awkward moment she picked up the car keys and shrugged. “Exposing the Ministry is all we can do, then hopefully the authorities will take over, but that depends on what we get from Reverend Stone. Having talked it over with Harry Dryden he suggested I open with the bank evidence showing their corporation paid the three Marines and ask why they would do that. It will let me bring in the military angle and see what gives there. Then I can hit him with the Israeli connection, assuming Carlucci was truthful with me.”